


Whispers In The Woods

by AngelWithAStory



Category: RWBY
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Ghosts, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Autumn, F/F, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Implied/Referenced Domestic Violence, Kindred Spirits, Slow Build, Slow Romance, Walks In The Woods
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-01-29
Updated: 2016-06-02
Packaged: 2018-03-09 15:17:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,098
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3254552
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AngelWithAStory/pseuds/AngelWithAStory
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>October wasn't the best month of the year.<br/>For Weiss, that was December, when the woods were eerily silent and there was almost always a thick blanket of snow that made Weiss feel like she could camouflage herself and hide from her family.<br/>But there was something special about October. The woods had a dying light feel to it in the way the orange leaves fell like snowflakes and the trees felt alive when you put your hand to them as you caught your breath.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Walks in the Woods

**Author's Note:**

> god I haven't uploaded in forever and I'm so ridiculously rusty  
> also, apologies for the dialogue if it seems weird/clunky, I haven't rewatched RWBY in ages so there's that :/

October wasn't the best month of the year.

For Weiss, that was December, when the woods were eerily silent and there was almost always a thick blanket of snow that made Weiss feel like she could camouflage herself and hide from her family.

But there was something special about October. The woods had a dying light feel to it in the way the orange leaves fell like snowflakes and the trees felt alive when you put your hand to them as you caught your breath.

Weiss always spent hours just walking through the trees. It made a massive change to the regular routine of training, business statistics sessions, etiquette lessons and normal schooling.

The sun was setting low as Weiss felt the chill of the first winter wind. She shivered involuntarily and pulled her jacket closer around her. The jacket was more of a bolero, and it was made of pure white cotton. All of Weiss' outfit was spotless white, the same as her skin and hair. The only thing about Weiss that wasn't snow white were her pale blue eyes and the faded red scar over her left eye.

Her friend, Ruby, was the only one who knew the real reason behind the scar, she Weiss had made her swear to take it to the grave.

So many times, Weiss had been tempted to take Ruby into the woods with her. But the woods were private, special. Sanctuary.

Weiss paused.

Someone was behind her.

"Hello?" She called out, turning around slowly.

"Hey."

Weiss spun around, almost hitting herself in the face with her own ponytail.

A girl was leaning against a tree. She had purple leggings that faded into black at her hips, tucked into hefty ankle boots and a white blouse, buttoned up almost to her neck. The girl had raven black hair flowing loose down her back, blending into the black, fur-lined jacket she wore, open.

She had amber eyes that almost glowed in contrast with her dark skin and that were looking at Weiss with a strange fascination.

"You shouldn't wear a dress when you go hiking. What if something happens?" The girl said. She had a lilt in her voice that caught Weiss' attention.

"It's a combat skirt." Weiss protested, tugging at the back of her skirt. The girl half-smiled, looking away from Weiss and focusing on a ray of light falling through a cluster of leaves.

"I'm Blake." The girl said, casually looking back at Weiss.

"Weiss Schnee."

"It's getting late." Blake said, pushing off the tree. Weiss hadn't noticed before, but the girl had a black ribbon tied into a bow on top of her hair that matched the colour so well it almost seemed like an extension of her head than an accessory. "You should be heading home. I can walk with you if you want."

"Thank you for the offer, but I am perfectly capable of making my own way home." Weiss said, smoothing down her skirt and turning away to begin the trek back.

"You sure?" Blake asked, appearing right beside her. Weiss jumped slightly and then immediately cursed herself for it. "The woods can be lonely."

"And how would you know?" Weiss asked. Blake's face fell for a second and Weiss saw a shadow pass over her features.

"I don't know." Blake admitted, her voice quiet.

They walked in silence until Weiss saw the town looming between the trees.

"Well, thank you for escorting me ho-" Weiss began, turning to look at Blake and instead found empty space. She turned around fully, trying to find the girl, but she was gone.

The sun had set, and stars were beginning to emerge overhead.

Weiss reluctantly turned her back on the woods and walked home.


	2. Anger In The Autumn

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is pathetically short for the time it took for me to upload it.
> 
> in my defence, I've had it written down for ages I just haven't uploaded it....

The next day was a bad one. 

Weiss had stormed out of her fencing lesson after her coach had embarrassed her in front of the group and now she stood in the middle of a forest clearing, fencing sword in hand, practicing the moves over and over again until they were perfect. 

Everything about her had to be perfect. 

She brought the rapier down in a swift arc, slicing the bark of a nearby tree. 

"Careful. Trees can't parry well." A familiar voice said. Blake was leaning against a tree, watching Weiss perform. 

Weiss ignored her, practicing another move, and accidentally slicing a falling leaf in half as she did so. Eventually, she placed the tip on the ground and looked over at the girl. 

"You abandoned me yesterday." She said shortly. "All that talk about the woods being lonely and you left me alone." 

"You were home safe." Was all Blake offered as an excuse. She stepped away from the tree, hands in her jacket pockets, wearing the exact same outfit as the day before. 

"Still!" Weiss exclaimed, _almost_ stamping her foot. Blake was quiet for a moment, just watching Weiss. 

"Bad day?" She asked, nodding towards the marks in a nearby tree. 

"Oh, what do you care?" Weiss snapped, turning away. 

"I care." Blake said quietly. The honesty in her voice made Weiss look at her. They faced each other.

"Why? You don't know me." Weiss said. 

"There's really only one kind of person who disappears into the woods every day." Blake said, keeping eye contact. 

"And I suppose you're also one of that kind." Weiss said, tilting her chin up a bit defiantly. Blake shrugged. 

"I suppose I am." Blake said. "The woods used to be comforting. Especially in the summer." 

"'Used to'?" Weiss pointed out. "What happened?" 

Blake looked at her blankly, her eyes unfocused. 

"I don't know." 

Weiss felt a chill pass over the clearing. She curled inwards slightly as the cold breeze cut through her jacket. 

A cloud blocked out the sun and an almost mournful wail ran with the wind through the air. 

Weiss turned, trying to find who could be making the noise. 

"Blake did you hear that?" Weiss asked, turning back around. Her eyes landed on where Blake was last, but all she saw was space. 

Blake was gone. 

"Again?!" Weiss exclaimed in surprise and acute anger. 

The cloud passed and so did the chill. 

Weiss looked around one final time and slowly picked up her fencing sword. She held it close to her as she walked out of the forest, not even bothering to look behind her. 

 


	3. Buried Bones

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry it took me four months to update this. I really really am.

It was over a week before Weiss even saw Blake again. 

Not that Weiss hadn't gone in the forest daily - it was still her escape from being _Weiss Schnee, Heiress in Waiting_ \- it was simply that Blake hadn't been there. Or if she had, she'd been avoiding Weiss. 

A light dusting of frost was on the ground, covering the leaves that had fallen heavily. Weiss' boots crunched as she trekked steadily through the woods, arms wrapped around her midriff, deep in her own thoughts. 

"Mind if we walk together?" 

Weiss simply turned her head and saw Blake stood beside her. Weiss shrugged elegantly and the two of them walked, manoeuvring the trees. 

They didn't talk, but the silence was strangely comforting. It felt like a silence shared between close friends, even though it shouldn't. They barely knew each other. 

"Have you ever been this far into the woods?" Blake asked, breaking the silence. 

"Of course I have." Weiss said, keeping her arms wrapped around herself. Not out of being cold, but because the alternative was to have her hands a few centimetres from Blake's, who let her hands swing by her sides as she walked. 

Weiss wondered dimly how Blake wasn't cold. 

"Have you ever crossed the river?" Blake asked, slyly looking over at Weiss. Weiss didn't say anything. She _hadn't_  ever crossed the river. Weiss wasn't even sure there was a river. Blake half-smiled and gently took Weiss' arm, leading her towards the faint sound of running water. Weiss pretended that the pressure of Blake's hand wasn't comforting. The river was more of a deep stream, with logs from, presumably, nearby trees. They stopped a metre away from the bank. 

"It's a river." Weiss stated, jerking her arm out of Blake's grip. 

Blake smiled slightly and stepped forwards onto a precarious-looking log. 

"What are you doing?!" Weiss asked, suddenly afraid. 

"There's a really great spot just ahead." Blake said, not looking over her shoulder as she kept walking. She paused halfway along the log and turned around. "Are you coming or not?" 

"You're insane." Weiss said, shaking her head. Still, she stepped out onto the log, holding her arms out to the side to keep her balance. 

Weiss took a step, almost slipping. She steadied herself and took a few more steps towards Blake. 

The log creaked dangerously and Blake lunged forwards. She grabbed Weiss's wrist and pulled both of them onto the other side. 

Blake stumbled backwards in her haste and her heel caught a stray tree root, tripping her over. Weiss fell as well, ending up over Blake. She groaned in pain, trying to piece together the last five seconds. 

It took her a while to realise she was on top of Blake. 

Apologising profusely, Weiss scrambled off her. But Blake calmly waited for Weiss to get to her feet before quietly standing up. 

Weiss apologised again as she brushed off her skirt. Blake stepped forward without a word, making Weiss stop talking in surprise at the gesture. 

"You have a twig in your hair." Blake said, reaching up and detangling a small stick from Weiss' long ponytail. Weiss stayed completely still, examining Blake's face. A small part of her noticed Blake's breath on her face and just how close they were standing. 

She also noticed how Blake's eyes flickered down to hers when she got the twig free and how her breath seemed like to stop when Blake stepped back, dropping the twig on the ground. 

Weiss refused to notice the tight feeling in her chest. Instead, she crossed her arms and took a deep breath, huffing it out.   
"So now we almost _drowned_  in the river, are you going to show me that place?" Weiss said, forcing irritability into her voice.

“Of course, Heiress.” Blake said, taking Weiss’ hand and leading her down a small path Weiss hadn’t seen before. Weiss wanted to pull her hand away. She wanted to snatch her hand away and shout at Blake. But she didn’t.

Weiss let herself be led down to a clearing where the trees suddenly opened up. The sky above them was warm and Blake finally let go of Weiss’ hand, turning to look at her. Weiss looked around and back at Blake.

“Where are we?” Weiss asked. Blake smiled at her softly and stepped forwards, gently taking Weiss’ hand in hers. Weiss felt herself move forwards without really realising and looked at Blake’s face, feeling herself being drawn in.

“I just like this spot.” Blake said softly.

“You’re cold.” Weiss said, taking her hand out of Blake’s and shrugged off her jacket, slinging it around Blake’s shoulders. There was a slight glow around the black-haired girl and Weiss saw Blake’s expression soften.

Blake offered her a small smile and Weiss felt herself beginning to return it. Something beyond Blake was catching the light and Weiss felt her attention being drawn to it. She stepped around Blake, linking her hand with Blake’s to pull her over.

The closer Weiss got, the more Blake resisted. Weiss let go and continued to move, choosing her steps carefully over the ground. The edge of the clearing sloped sharply into a bank and Weiss used the low branches of a nearby tree to walk/slide down the incline.

The leaves at the bottom of the slope were in a pile. Weiss felt the wind pick up and raise goosebumps along her exposed arms.

She crouched down beside the the pile of leaves, her hand hesitantly shifting some of the leaves around the reflective object. Her hand hit something hard and she closed her grasp around it, pulling it out of the leaves.

It looked like a mask. It was white with red decoration and four slits that must have served as the eyeholes. Weiss felt like she _should_  have recognised it. It seemed familiar in the way that old coins did when held next to new ones.

Something white was still visible under the foliage and Weiss gently placed the mask on the ground beside her and dug through the leaves, moving them away from whatever they were covering.

Her hand connected to something hard and she let out a small scream, quickly covering her mouth. Weiss worked quickly and shoved away all the rest of the leaves she could reach, standing up and stumbling back.

She wanted to throw up. She wanted to cry.

Weiss forced herself to look at it, slowly building up her bravery to go back to it.

The skeleton looked too white against the red and dying leaves. A few of the ribs looked broken and the left arm looked like it had been smashed from halfway up the upper arm.

“ _You found me._ ”

Weiss spun around, expecting to see someone. The forest was just as empty as it always was.

“ _Free me_.” The voice said again. It sounded like someone was whispering to Weiss. “ _Please_.”

“Blake!” Weiss shouted, running back up the slope, ignoring the pain in her ankles or the dirt on her dress. “Blake!”

Weiss stopped at the crest of the hill, looking around wildly, trying to find any trace of the girl. Her eyes caught a flash of white on the ground and she saw her jacket, lying on top of the undergrowth.

Weiss wanted to run home, lock herself in her room, but she forced herself to take deep breath, to calm down. She picked up her jacket and walked back down to the skeleton, picking up the mask from where she’d left it.

She looked at the skeleton once more, hastily wiping away the tears on her face, and made the long trek back. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you want to chat, I'm [ private-doughnut ](http://private-doughnut.tumblr.com/) on tumblr


	4. Forest Friends

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> whoa, some hiatus, am I right?  
> .....  
> .....  
> Hey, at least this story isn't dead...

“Hey Weiss, are you okay?” A young voice asked, sliding into a seat next to Weiss. Weiss looked at her, snapping out of her thoughts. 

“Oh, hi Ruby.” Weiss said, sitting up straight. “I’m fine.” 

She was  _ not _ fine. Not when she had spent most of the night unable to get the image of a skeleton out of her mind and replaying the words in her head. 

_ Free me. _

_ Please. _

“If you say so.” Ruby said. Her short hair was clipped back from her face and there was still a bit of dirt on her face from her morning chores. 

“Actually, Ruby,” Weiss said. “Are you free after school?” She asked. Ruby looked at her in surprise. It was rare that Weiss showed an interest in socialising with  _ anyone _ outside of school hours (except maybe Pyrrha, but only on a good day).

“Well, I have to help my uncle with the fields, but after that... Sure, I’d be happy to.” Ruby said, beaming at Weiss. Weiss always forgot she was only able to attend Beacon with her sister because they stayed on their uncle’s farm. Especially since their father worked and lived a long while away from Beacon. 

Weiss nodded at Ruby and listened as the professor started the lecture. 

 

The sun was just starting to lower in the sky when Weiss saw Ruby walking up the path to the forest. Another person was following her, their hands tucked into their jacket pockets against the wind. 

“Hey Weiss.” Ruby said once she was in earshot. “Yang wanted to tag along, hope you don’t mind.” She said, smiling at Weiss widely. Yang’s hair was reflecting the sun, making it look like it was on fire. 

“Not at all.” Weiss said. 

“So why are we here, Ice Queen?” Yang asked teasingly, smiling at Weiss. 

“I found something yesterday.” Weiss admitted, letting the nickname slid just for today. “And I think I need your help.” 

“Is it still in there?” Yang asked, looking past Weiss into the trees. Weiss nodded, wrapping her arms around her, the image of the skeleton flashing in front of her eyes again. 

“Okay, lead the way, Weiss.” Ruby said. 

Weiss nodded again and followed the path Blake had led her down the day before. She stopped at the river. 

“We have to cross this.” Weiss said. The two sisters nodded and followed her, Yang making sure Ruby walked in front of her in case she slipped. The log they walked over seemed a lot more sturdy than it did yesterday. 

Weiss landed on the other side first and she turned to make sure her companions made it. Ruby did a little jump off the log, landing lightly on the ground, while Yang made a slightly audible thump when she stepped onto solid ground. Her arms fell back to her sides and Weiss realised she’d had them extended to the side for balance. 

“So where’s it from here, Ice Queen?” Yang asked, tucking her hands back in her pockets. 

“It’s down here.” Weiss said, walking the same way that Blake had led her the day before. It felt weird to say her name again, honestly. 

Ruby did a hurried few steps so she walked beside Weiss and Weiss was silently thankful for the support. She wasn’t sure she was ready to see  _ it _ again. 

The three of them stepped into the clearing between the trees and Weiss paused. 

“Weiss?” Ruby asked, gently putting her hand on Weiss’ shoulder. 

“I’m fine.” Weiss said. “It’s just down that slope over there.” 

“You two stay here,” Yang said, stepping up and beginning to walk over to where Weiss had gestured. “I’ll go check it out.”

The two girls watched as Yang disappeared over the ridge. Weiss felt her heart start beating against her ribs and she had a wild fantasy of Yang coming back into view and telling her that there wasn’t anything there. 

“Weiss? You’re shivering.” Ruby said, draping her hood around Weiss’ shoulders. It was heavy and obnoxiously red but Weiss wrapped it around herself anyway, her knuckles somehow going paler as she gripped it tightly. 

“ _ Ruby! Weiss! _ ” Yang’s voice came from the bottom of the slope and Ruby ran towards it. Weiss forced herself to move and followed Ruby down to where the blonde stood. 

“Yang! What’s wrong?” Ruby asked, sprinting up to her sister. She stopped suddenly, looking down at the ground. Weiss stood beside her and saw her hands go to her mouth. She suddenly felt that involving them wasn’t the smart decision. 

“Ruby, go get uncle Qrow.” Yang said. Ruby turned to run but a voice stopped all of them. 

“ _ You can’t. _ ” It said. 

Weiss felt shivers pass through her body and turned her head to see Blake standing a few metres away. 

She looked exactly the same as she did and Weiss felt something in her chest feel tight. How could this girl be-

Weiss could barely think the word.

“Who are you?” Yang demanded, stepping in front of Ruby and Weiss and raising her fists defensively. 

“I’m Blake.” Blake said, looking at Yang. Her eyes had a glint to them that was intriguing. “Who are you?” 

The three girls couldn’t bring the words to exist. Weiss clutched at Ruby’s cape, drawing it around her as she felt chills brush down her back. Finally, Ruby cleared her throat and stepped out from behind Yang.

“Hi. I’m Ruby.” She said, friendly and smiling as always. “This is my big sister Yang, and my friend Weiss.” 

“I know Weiss.” Blake said, her gaze flicking to Weiss before she looked back at Ruby. 

“If you don’t mind me asking,” Ruby started, curling her shoulders forwards subconsciously. “What happened to you?”

“I died.” Blake said simply. 

“What can we do to help you?” Ruby asked softly. Weiss was surprised at Ruby’s demeanour. It was like she knew exactly what she had to do in this situation. 

Blake looked back at Weiss and the air temperature dropped sharply. The wind stopped and nothing moved. Time itself seemed to grind to a halt. Weiss felt all the warmth in her body leave her.  

“ _ Free me. Please. _ ” Blake spoke, but her mouth didn’t open. The words were carried along the wind and wrapped around the three girls.

Weiss felt her head go light and suddenly her legs couldn’t support her. The ground was hard as she fell against it and leaves broke apart around her. 

“WEISS!” Ruby’s voice sounded tinny in Weiss’ ear. Strong arms wrapped themselves around her body and the ground fell away. 

“Ruby! Run back to the house. I’ll take Weiss.” Yang said. Ruby’s footsteps were quick and rhythmic as they faded into the distance. 

Weiss felt Yang start to climb the slope before the world started to fade to black. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Was it worth the wait?


	5. Unusual Uncles

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think this is the fastest update to this fic literally since the first two chapters maybe

When Weiss woke up, she could have sworn there was someone else in the room, but by the time she woke up enough to open her eyes, the room was empty.

The room around her was simply decorated and from the mess of papers that depicted various mechanisms in excruciating detail that were scattered around the room, Weiss must have been placed in Ruby’s room.

It was still light outside the window, so Weiss figured she couldn't have been out for long. She got up from the bed and stepped outside the door, looking up and down the hallway. Sounds were coming from one end so Weiss followed it, thinking that it would lead her to either Yang or Ruby.

The hallways opened up into a kitchen and she looked at the three people sat around a dining table. Ruby looked up at her first and practically leapt out of her seat.

“Weiss! You’re okay!” Ruby threw her arms around Weiss’ shoulders on impulse and for once, Weiss didn't mind.

“Of course I’m okay.” Weiss said, half-reassuring and half-arrogant. Yang gave her a thumbs up and looked like she was about to say something until the third person spoke up.

“Well I’m glad you’re not still dead to the world.” The third said, drawing Weiss’ attention.

From the description Ruby had given, Weiss could say with certainty that the man she was looking at was their uncle; Qrow. He didn’t look all that old but his hair was a dark grey colour (though Weiss thought she could see a thin bands of black growing from his roots). He hadn’t shaved and his stubble was dark against his pale skin. There was a tumbler of whiskey on the table where he had been sat and Weiss had a feeling that that was a common occurrence.

“Gave us all quite a scare,” Qrow continued, standing up from his chair. “Now are any of you three going to tell me what happened out there in those woods?”

Weiss glanced at Ruby and Yang. (They hadn't said anything?)

“I already told you.” Yang spoke up. “We were hiking and suddenly Weiss said wasn't feeling right. Next thing we know, she’s fainted so we brought her back here.” Weiss felt touched that they would lie for her like that.

“Kid, I’ve been around long enough to know when someone’s lying to me.” Qrow said. He didn't sound angry, more amused at the idea that three teenage girls could lie convincingly enough to fool him.

“I’m not-” Yang started, starting to sound angry, but Weiss stopped her before she could work herself up any more.

“It’s okay, Yang.” Weiss said. She composed herself, folding her hands in front of her. She caught the look Ruby was throwing her and understood. “Ruby asked Yang and I to accompany her to the woods. She told us that there was something we needed to know. Then it was as Yang said; we went for a walk, and I suddenly felt faint.”

“Oh yeah?” Qrow asked, turning his attention to the youngest in the room. “And what was so important that you had to go to the woods to say it?”

Ruby looked down at her hands and suddenly Weiss regretted lying. Finally, she looked up and met her uncle’s eye, determined.

“I wanted to tell them that- that I’m asexual.” Ruby said slowly. Weiss hid her surprise but Qrow didn’t.

“You are?” He asked. Ruby nodded and Qrow suddenly pulled her into a sideways hug. Weiss thought she could see where Ruby got her hugging technique from by the way Ruby look squished. “Well good for you, kid. I’m proud of you.”

“Really? Thanks, uncle Qrow.” Ruby said. She took a dramatic deep breath when Qrow released her but she still beamed. Yang threw her arm around Ruby and Weiss’ shoulders, squeezing them to her gently.

There was a knocking sound from the other side of the house and Qrow sighed.

“That’ll be your sister here to pick you up.” Qrow said, giving Weiss a pointed look.

“Winter’s here?” Weiss asked, frowning at him slightly.

“Of course. I figured it would be better to call her than to call your dad.” Qrow admitted. “Don’t all get up at once.” He half-grumbled, already walking down the hallway to where the front door was, presumably. As soon as he left, Weiss looked at Ruby.

“I’m sorry you had to do that.” Weiss said.

“It’s fine.” Ruby said, brushing it off easily. “Honestly, I’ve been looking for the right time to tell him.”

“Weiss! It’s time to leave!” Winter’s voice met them in the kitchen and Weiss threw the other two an apologetic look.

“Here, I’ll walk you out.” Ruby offered. Weiss was grateful, but she didn’t know if she could formulate her thoughts into the right words.

“Ruby, I-” Weiss began, but Ruby cut her off.

“It’s alright Weiss. You were scared, and you didn’t know what to do. None of us did. But now we can help Blake.” Ruby said, proving again how wise she was beyond her years. Weiss nodded, feeling more focused than she had done in days.

“You’re right. Tomorrow, meet me at the public library after school. You know; to come up with a plan.” Weiss said, encouraged with Ruby’s affirmative nod.

Winter was stood in the doorway, hands clasped behind her back and looking thoroughly annoyed with Qrow, who by contrast, was leaning against the door frame.

“Don’t pretend you’re not pleased to see me, Winter.” Qrow said, both cocky and teasing.

“I don’t think you’ve been able to please a woman in your life, Qrow.” Winter retorted, but there was significantly less bite in her statement than Weiss knew she was capable of.

“Less women than men,” Qrow said fairly, smirking at Winter’s surprised expression. “But I’ve had a few second dates with a few ladies. I’m quite the catch.”

“Having seen your technique first-hand, I feel sorry for those ladies.” Winter schooled her features as she noticed Weiss and Ruby approaching. “Hello, Weiss.”

“Hello Winter, thank you for picking me up.” Weiss said, stepping past Qrow to stand beside her sister. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Ruby.”

“See you Weiss!” Ruby said, waving as Winter lead her to the car she used to drive up to the farm house.

Weiss waited until she was in the car with Winter before she spoke up.

“I didn’t know you knew Qrow.” Weiss said innocently.

“We worked together for a brief time when he was still a detective in my precinct.” Winter admitted, starting the car and driving carefully down the unpaved road back into the town. “It’s reassuring to know that he is still as insufferable as he was.”

“You said that you saw his dating technique… Did you two ever….” Weiss let her sentences hang in the air. She didn’t expect Winter to let out a light laugh.

“Date? Even I’m not that desperate to disappoint father.” Winter said. “No, we once worked a job together which required us to pretend we were a couple to get close to the target.”

“Oh.” Weiss said. “That makes more sense.”

“I assume you don’t want me to tell father about this.” Winter said, glancing at Weiss from the clear roads.

“He would only worry that I feinted-”

“I meant about the forest.” Winter said gently. “I would hate for you to lose the one place you can go to escape.” Weiss was quiet for a moment, looking down at her hands in her lap.

“I didn’t know you knew about the forest.” Weiss said quietly.

“A few times when you came home, you had leaves stuck to your shoes.” Winter said, just as gently. “It’s good to have a place you can go to relax and get away from the pressures of the Schnee heritage.”

“So you’re not mad that I go into the forest by myself?” Weiss asked.

“There’s nothing in the forest that you can’t handle, Weiss.” Winter said, a touch of pride in her voice.

Weiss looked out the window of the car, a warm feeling in her chest. The countryside was beautiful in the dusk light and Weiss found it fitting. Her sister only came home a few times a year and when she did, Weiss practically _lived_ for moments like this.

It almost felt sad to admit it to herself, but sometimes all Weiss needed was just the reassurance that she was strong _enough_. She was good _enough_. That she didn’t have to be perfect and flawless and so undeniably _Schnee_.

Weiss didn’t stop the small smile on her face as Winter drove them back to the cold house only Weiss still called home.


	6. Afternoon Acquaintances

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *slids this chapter your way as an apology for being _the worst_ *

Weiss looked down at the time on her phone as she walked through the town to the library. Ruby had told her during the day that they should meet at four and Weiss realised with a huff that she was a bit early. Oh well, might as well get a snack since it had been _hours_ since she ate and she had no idea what time she would get home.

A nice little hole-in-the-wall cafe was only a block away from the library and Weiss liked to go there on days when she didn’t want to go home. Weiss walked through the door and saw a tall red-haired girl push open the door to the kitchen with her shoulder and bring out a fresh tray of muffins. The girl spotted her and smiled with as much warmth as the treats she carried.

Weiss forced herself to smile back normally and put as much nonchalance in her stride as she could as she walked over to the counter.

“Hello Weiss.” The girl said, placing the tray on the display shelf and wiping her hands on the apron she wore around her slim hips.

“Hello Pyrrha,” Weiss said politely, trying to ignore the hurried heartbeat in her chest. “Just finished baking?”

“Oh yes. I tried a new recipe and this one is much healthier. I just hope it tastes as nice as it smells.” Pyrrha said, absently brushing a fallen strand of hair out of her face and tucking it behind her ear. She looked up at Weiss with a smile in her eyes. “Would you like to try one?”

“I would love to try one, Pyrrha.” Weiss said, hoping her face wasn’t as hot as she feared. Pyrrha smiled again and busied herself with getting a small plate and gently placing one of the fresh treats onto it.

“Here you go,” Pyrrha said, placing the plate in front of Weiss and waiting patiently for Weiss to take a bite and deliver her verdict.

Maybe she was a bit biased towards the girl standing opposite her, but Weiss couldn’t remember the last time she enjoyed a simple muffin more than in that cafe on that cold afternoon. And she made sure to tell Pyrrha that.

“Really?” Pyrrha asked, a faint blush tinting the tan skin on her cheeks. “Well, I’m glad you like it. Do you want anything else?”

“Just a coffee to go, please.” Weiss said, choosing to focus on taking the right amount of money out of her purse. “How much do I owe you for the coffee and muffin?” She asked.

“Just the coffee.” Pyrrha corrected. Weiss looked up at her in surprise and furiously fought down the blush she was _sure_ was showing on her pale skin. She quickly handed over the change she needed and pretended to scroll through her phone as Pyrrha worked the coffee machine.

Weiss would furiously deny the small glances she kept making at the redhead, and she would refuse to acknowledge any admiration of the lean muscles that the girl displayed in her t-shirt and short skirt that seemed to be her signature look at this point. Everyone knew that Pyrrha Nikos was into anything and everything athletic and was only a few years away from training full-time to be an Olympiad.

Pyrrha placed the cup of coffee in front of Weiss, jogging her from her thoughts.

“Thanks.” Weiss said, wrapping her cold hand around it and picking up the remains of the half-eaten muffin to put into her bag. She turned away from the counter just in time to see a blond boy barrel through the doors, furiously tying an apron around his waist.

“Pyrrha I’m here! I’m here!” The boy declared, hastily ducking behind the counter and smiling hesitantly at Weiss.

“Hello Jaune.” Pyrrha greeted warmly, turning away slightly as her smile became the kind of soft that Weiss had seen too often directed at other people. She felt the smallest hint of jealousy spark in her chest and her hand clenched around the coffee minutely.

She barely said a work of goodbye as she left, forcing down the feeling in her chest. The air outside was cold and Weiss held the coffee close, taking small sips. There were still a few minutes until she meant to meet Ruby, so Weiss walked slowly.

The streets bent towards their meeting place and Weiss paused when she saw Ruby standing with another girl outside the public library. The other girl wore a light green sundress and black knee-high socks despite the cooling weather. A lopsided pink bow had been tied in her red hair and Weiss could almost see her bright green eyes from where she stood.

Ruby held one of the girls’ hands in her own and they were both laughing together over something. A very light blush dusted Ruby’s skin and Weiss caught herself focussing on their intertwined hands. The other girl’s skin was much paler than the skin Ruby had inherited from her father (or so Weiss had heard - she’d never met the man formally).

A black car pulled up on the street beside then and Weiss saw the other girl look at Ruby apologetically, though Ruby seemed to shrug it off with a smile. Weiss was glad for the distance between them when she saw the other girl lean forwards and quickly peck Ruby’s lips. If Weiss were anyone else, her jaw would have dropped at Ruby’s other hand on the girl’s arm and the blush that deepened on Ruby’s cheeks. Luckily, Weiss had enough sense to retrace her steps and hide down a side street.

Weiss waited until she heard the black car pull away and saw it pass her hiding street. She pulled her phone out of her pocket and called Ruby’s number. It rang twice before Ruby picked up.

“Weiss?” Ruby did a good job of not sounding flustered down the phone.

“I’m a few minutes away, I got caught up at fencing.” Weiss said, finally deeming it safe to start walking back. “Sorry that I’m late, even though it wasn’t my fault.”

“It’s okay Weiss, I just got here anyway.” Ruby said, and Weiss rolled her eyes. A weird sense of fondness seemed to creep up on her but Weiss tried to squash it down.

“Well I see you now,” Weiss said, watching Ruby look around and wave wildly at her when she was spotted. The line clicked off and Weiss tucked her phone back into her bag.

“Weiss!” Ruby greeted, bouncing on her toes. “How was fencing?”

“It was adequate.” Weiss said, not really wanting to talk about it. “How was your day?”

“It was pretty good. I ran into a friend and we went for a coffee.” Ruby admitted, the small blush dusting her cheeks again.

“Well, shall we go in then?” Weiss asked, tilting her head towards the massive library behind them. Ruby nodded enthusiastically and followed Weiss as she walked inside.

 

The back room of the library was locally known as the ‘Archive’, for fairly obvious reasons. It was impeccably well kept by the few librarians that worked there, and the door was always locked with limited access.

Weiss watched as Ruby talked ( _quietly_ ) to the boy who was in the middle of his shift as the librarian. He smiled at Ruby and Weiss vaguely remembered that both Ruby and Yang were friends with this boy and his friends. He reached under the desk and made Ruby promise that they would put the room back the way they found it before they left.

Ruby skipped over to Weiss, proud of herself and Weiss couldn’t help that small smile at how proud Ruby was of herself.

The Archive itself was barely lit and musty, but there was some underlying sense of _knowledge_ and _history_ that caught Weiss off guard for a moment. Only a moment.

“What are we even looking for?” Weiss asked, scanning the shelves for anyone named Blake. And that didn’t seem to yield as many results as Weiss would have hoped. There weren’t that many old records kept in this particular archive and what _was_ available was all organised either by century or by last name; both vital pieces of information that neither of them knew.

“Well I’m looking for suspicious deaths in the last twenty years.” Ruby admitted, looking through the directory of records available. Weiss walked over to her, her heels clicking obnoxiously loudly on the polished wooden floor. It wasn’t as if there was a _rule_ about being silent in the archives, but Ren wasn’t particularly fond of noise for noise’s sake.

“Why suspicious? It could have been an accident?” Weiss said, crossing her arms over her chest and reading over Ruby’s shoulder.

“Blake was _left_ there. Yang told me that she got a good look at the skeleton this morning before school. It was _placed_ there, Weiss. Someone left Blake there and tried to bury her.” Ruby grew quiet and Weiss felt her worry spike.

“What?” Weiss’s voice was sharp but barely above a whisper.

“Yang thinks that Blake was murdered.”

Ruby’s words hit Weiss hard in the chest. Her breath was violently ripped from her chest and suddenly Weiss suffocated.

_Murdered?_

That couldn’t be possible. It wasn’t it _wasn’t_!

“That’s impossible.” Weiss said, her voice a little louder than she meant it to be. Ruby already looked saddened, like she knew the kind of thoughts that were running through Weiss’ mind. Weiss could feel parts of her mind shutting down as her shoulders straightened and her arms dropped to her side.

Ruby’s hand very gently rested on Weiss’ arm and Weiss forced herself to snap out of it. She focused on the smell of the old paper around her; of Ruby’s warm hand on her sleeveless arm; of the thin shafts of sunlight through the skylight above them.

“I’m sorry, Weiss. I shouldn’t have told you this.” Ruby said softly, gently coaxing Weiss out of whatever had taken over her for a moment. Weiss took a few deep breaths.

“No, Ruby. It’s okay.” Weiss said, awkwardly clearing her throat. “This should at least narrow down what we’re looking for. Any unexplained murders in the last thirty years. Let’s start from there.”

“Thirty?”

“As much as I judge Yang’s judgement, just _looking_ at decomposing bodies from a distance doesn’t tell us much. Thirty years should be a safe bet.” Weiss clarified, tracing his nail down the page Ruby had the directory open at.

Ruby nodded, a steely determination settling over her young features. Weiss threw herself into gathering boxes of relevant files and records and books that spanned every death certificate in the region in the last few decades. The amount they had to sift through was pretty big, and even Ruby, with her boundless energy, began to flag after an hour and a half of meticulously checking death certificates.

Weiss was honestly surprised at how many last names she recognised, but she was even _more_ surprised at all the ones she couldn’t place. People who died with no next of kin, people who died married and their maiden name lost to history forever, people who no one knew who died with no name attached to the last surviving proof of their existence.

Weiss sighed, fed up of the feeling of dust inside her nostrils.

“Let’s call it a day. We can pick it up again another time.” Weiss said, standing up from her chair and stretching her legs. Ruby did the same, stretching out her arms as well and leaning sideways to ‘ _pop_ ’ her back.

“Well, we managed to narrow it down.”  Ruby said with a small, tired smile on her face. “We’re doing good, Weiss.”

“Help me put these boxes back,” Weiss said, trying to calm the smile that wanted to show on her face. Ruby just smiled and hoisted a box up, effortlessly walking to the correct shelf to place the box back. Weiss did the same, struggling just the smallest bit more with the heavy boxes. (She didn’t have the same kind of upper-body strength as someone that wielded heavy farming machinery every day).

“Are you okay walking home?” Ruby asked, pulling her jacket back on as they prepared to leave. Weiss did the same, doing up the delicate buttons of her coat.

“I’ll be fine.” Weiss said, a bit more cutting that she meant to. “I like walking through the town anyway.” She added, looking at Ruby with a gentle expression. Ruby seemed to understand and slung her bag over her shoulder.

“If you’re sure.” Ruby said, a smile on her face. “I’ll see you tomorrow then, Weiss.” She gave Weiss a small wave as she left the library and headed towards her uncle’s farm.

The sun was almost to the point of dusk when Weiss set off in the complete opposite direction of the Schnee home. Pavement turned to dirt roads that turned to the crunch of leaves under Weiss’ boots as she walked.

Weiss took a deep breath and crossed the boundary into the woods.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> @weiss stop being so gay for pyrrha you have a mystery to solve

**Author's Note:**

> more to come eventually


End file.
